The Prometheus Legend
by Spaceflight101
Summary: I don't own any of the characters, and this story probably violates the canon of two franchises, but it was fun to write it anyway. This story is about what might have happened if "Prometheus" had taken place in the "Star Trek: TNG" universe.
1. Chapter 1

"The Prometheus Legend"

...a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" / "Prometheus" fanfic crossover that goes where someone may have gone before...

Prologue:

As an experiment, I investigated whether or not the timeline of the "Alien" universe and that of the "Star Trek" universe were compatible.

It turned out that they are quite compatible.

For instance, according to canon Cochrane invented warp drive in the year 2063. The events in Prometheus took place thirty years later. The Nostromo was lost in 2122, and the Federation was formed in 2161, perhaps as a reaction to the losses of the two vessels and their crews? You decide...

This story takes place in 2367, 253 years after the loss of the Prometheus. It takes place after the events of "The Nth Degree".

Dedicated to the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia.

"With my footsteps I shall lead, in my footsteps you shall follow."

Christa McAuliffe, STS-51L

main story follows...

Chapter One: Earth Departure

Picard and the Enterprise crew were nearly at the end of a shore leave at Earth, after the encounter with the Cytherians. The ten days spent there had brought back a huge amount of knowledge that took time to download from the ship's computers. There was also some minor damage to the Enterprise, and Star Fleet Engineering had a new reliability upgrade for the Enterprise's warp engines, one which would increase reliability at sustained high warp speeds. Reg Barclay and Geordi LaForge were supervising the upgrades, with Barclay contributing some radical ideas thanks to his cerebral interface with the Cytherians. Picard was busy on Earth, having been unexpectedly summoned to the office of Admiral Owen Paris. Paris could say nothing over the comm, but smiled while telling Picard that he would like his next mission...

"Admiral Paris, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Picard smiled as he shook Paris' hand. "Yes, it has indeed, Jean-Luc. Please, have a seat."

Picard looked serious as he asked Paris why all the secrecy...was it the Borg or the Romulans? "None of the above", Paris replied. "One of our deep-space probes sent to an unexplored system about 35 light-years out appeared to pick up signs of artificially built structures on a class M moon of a gas giant, but no life signs or energy signatures. I know that you're a fan of alien archeology, so I recommended you for the mission. But there's one more thing...there is a 'legend' of sorts that goes along with this mission."

Picard looked puzzled, and said " 'Legend'? What kind of 'legend' ?"

Owen activated his viewscreen and the logo of Weyland-Yutani appeared. "Remember this company, Jean-Luc? Go back about 250 years."

Picard studied the logo, then said "They were a military supply corporation that thrived in the early warp era and after the loss of the Nostromo, the Federation and Star Fleet were created to find answers to why our ships weren't coming home."

"That's right, but there's more. According to these files, which I am having sent to Enterprise as we speak, the company's owner commissioned a private expedition to what they called LV-223 in the late 21st Century. He did this, spending a billion of his own dollars, after watching *this* presentation by Drs. Charles Holloway and Elizabeth Shaw.

(presses button, presentation plays on screen)

Picard sat in rapt awe as the images unfolded...these two archeologists had found prehistoric star maps and had put the pieces together. We humans were being invited to go to the stars by these beings they called Engineers, and now that we could, we did. "Or did they?", Owen asked. "You see, Jean Luc, the Prometheus never returned. Conspiracy theorists postulated that the trip was not possible and Weyland had everyone involved murdered to save face, but both Weyland and his daughter disappeared and the company was sold and merged with Yutani a few years later."

"No one knows what really happened. You have the chance to put this 'legend' to rest. What do you think?"

Picard sat back in his chair, thought about what Professor Richard Galen might say, then said what Paris had known he'd say all along: "When do we set sail?" He also added "Why hasn't this moon been explored before if it's a Class M moon?" Paris said "It took our probe 5 years to get there, and serendipity played a role. A dark matter asteroid caused the probe to go off its original course and when we realized where it was going we just allowed it to continue since the region was unexplored. It's an 8 1/2 day trip at Warp 9, and according to our probe, its orbital mechanics place it in the shadow of the planet for half of its orbital period. The astrophysics data is being uploaded to Enterprise as well, along with something else: the DNA samples of the families of the lost crew members just in case you find anything."

"There were supposed to have been 17 crew members plus Mr. Weyland."

"How 'classified' is this, Admiral? What can I tell my crew?"

"You can tell them the whole story, Jean-Luc. Your primary mission is to test and verify the warp drive upgrades to the Enterprise, and if you find nothing out of the ordinary, you can return to Earth if you'd like or you can continue exploration of the general area since the Enterprise will be the first Federation vessel out there."

"So...none of the Federation members ever explored this area?"

"Nope, you'll be the first!"

Picard stood up, and shook Owen's hand. He felt genuinely excited to be literally going where no one had gone before...or were they?

Picard tapped his com badge and said "Picard to Riker." Riker replied "Good to hear from you, Captain. Ready for transport?"

He was about to say "yes", when he noticed that Boothby was walking towards him. "Hold up, Will. Boothby's here and I want to speak with him."

"As you wish, Captain."

Picard smiled as he held out his hand to shane Boothby's weathered hand. "I hear that you're going to be chasing a 'legend', Picard." "You know I can't say 'no' to anything that might involve alien archeology, my friend." The color went out of Boothby's face as he said "I know. I still remember the booby trap you got yourself into last year investigating that 'mythical' Promellian battlecruiser. Don't walk into another one! Don't let your thirst for knowledge blind you like that!"

Picard was taken by surprise at Boothby's concern. "You know as well as I that risk and exploration of the unknown is why we do this." He pointed to a statue of Christa McAuliffe, a statue that had the "ancient astronaut" holding her helmet with her left hand while pointing to the sky with her right arm. The base of the statue held these words:

""With my footsteps I shall lead, in my footsteps you shall follow."

"I'll be alright, Boothby. By the way...how did you know about Prometheus?"

"When they tracked the ancestry records of the crew, it turned out that I had a relative aboard. One of the DNA samples is mine."

It was Picard's turn to be serious now, and he put his right arm on Boothby's shoulder and said "I will personally find the answers for you, my friend. It's the least I can do."

"Well, just be careful, Picard. When you poke around graveyards you sometimes stir up things that are better left undisturbed..."

Then, he did something uncharacteristic...he gave Picard the Vulcan farewell, and said "May your journey be free from incident."

Those words echoed in Picard's ears as he was beamed aboard his Enterprise.

(end of Chapter One)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"The Prometheus Legend"

Day One: Departure and Mission Briefing.

Picard materialized in the Enterprise's transporter room, and the technician smiled and said "Welcome back, Captain." Picard smiled and said "Thank you, James", then walked towards the elevators and the bridge. Everyone was there, Riker, Troi, Dr. Crusher, Data, and Worf. LaForge and Barclay walked in last, as they were in engineering, performing the final tasks related to the upgrades. Riker spoke first, asking Picard if he wanted the senior officers to assemble in his ready room in thirty minutes. This was Picard's standard practice, and Riker knew it well, but Picard took him by surprise when he said "No, not today, Will. Have everyone assemble in Holodeck Three in one hour if they're not busy. And Will?" Riker looked at Picard with a surprised look, after all, he'd always been able to anticipate his Captain's moves...it was what a good First Officer did..."...have Lieutenant Barclay join us."

"Barclay, sir?!" Riker was off-balance now. "Yes, Barclay. He just had a rather unique experience and may be able to provide some valuable insights for this mission."

"Aye aye, Captain", Riker said. "I'll be in my ready room with the ship status reports if you need me, Will." Picard smiled as he spoke.

"Tea, Earl Gray, hot." Inside his ready room, Picard thought about the possible implications of this mission. Not only answers to one of the most pervasive spacefaring legends of his time (the Prometheus and Nostromo had become the Flying Dutchmen of human spaceflight, presumably condemned to wander the universe for all eternity) but possible insights into the origins of humanity and civilization itself. But one nagging question bothered Picard, and he asked Worf to get Admiral Paris on the com. "Getting cold feet, Jean-Luc?" was the Admiral's question. "You know me better than that, Admiral. But one thing bothers me: why didn't any of Star Fleet's archeologists want to go on this mission?" "None of them felt like wasting their time chasing ghosts", was the reply. "Besides, your primary mission is the warp engine tests, but if you find something, all the better."

Then he said something that NASA's launch day directors used to tell Space Shuttle crews just before launch, presumably to calm the astronauts' jittery nerves: "Have fun out there, Jean-Luc. See you in a couple of weeks."

"Holodeck Three" was the command Picard spoke to the elevator. He held the data package in his hand, and greeted everyone who was assembled in the holodeck. Reg was particularly nervous, as he had been avoiding everyone as a result of feeling guilty from the encounter with the Cytherians. But that was the "old Reg", and he had had a glimpse of who he could be if only he had the courage. "I need a Wizard", he thought silently, then heard Troi's telepathic voice saying "Relax, Reg. You'll do fine." They smiled at one another and Picard plugged the datastrip into the holodeck controls.

"Before we begin, I have an announcement to make. Mr. Barclay, could you step up, please?" Barclay's expression was the "old Reg" look, but he swallowed and approached the Captain. "Mr. Barclay, thanks to your performance above and beyond the call of duty for saving the Argus Array and introducing us to the Cytherians, Star Fleet has awarded you the Exceptional Engineering Achievement Award and the Successful First Contact Award."

Everyone began applauding, but Reg felt the blood running to his feet. "But that's not all, Mr. Barclay. When we return, you're to report to Star Fleet Academy for officer training. You've earned an upgrade." Once again, everyone applauded and Reg felt cold, uncomfortable with the praise he'd earned. Troi's voice said "Enjoy the moment Reg, You've earned it and now it's your day in the sun." Reg stood a little bit straighter, smiled and thanked everyone, and shook Picard's hand before returning to stand with the other officers. No longer was he an outsider, he thought, now today, he truly belonged here.

"Our primary mission is to test the upgrades to the warp engines, but Star Fleet has given us a secondary mission." He spoke to the holodeck; "Computer, activate and play program 'Prometheus One', authorization 'Picard One, One Alpha, Two Zulu.' "

The holodeck began playing the program...Admiral Paris explained the mission parameters, beginning with the presentation made by Drs. Holloway and Shaw to Peter Weyland some 260 years previous. Weyland was arguable the richest and most powerful man on Earth at the time and for reasons unknown risked his vast personal fortune and reputation on a mission to unknown space, pushing the frontiers of early-warp technology to do so. To reach LV-223 would require a little over two years in hypersleep. They were the first to develop and use the technology, long since outdated, but it required a leap of faith as early test subjects ended up dead more often than not. Weyland Industries, like all corporations of the time, conducted its own secret research into many things and were not required to share the fruits or failures of their experimentation. There was a second part to the file, a folder titled "Nostromo/Acheron/Hadley's Hope/Ellen Ripley" but Picard chose not to play it here, partly because he hadn't reviewed it yet, partly because he wanted his crew to focus on one wild-goose-chase at a time. He felt like Star Fleet was dumping every space legend there was on him and silently wondered why they didn't have any *real* work for him to do.

Data silently ran the numbers and concluded that the Prometheus, if she even existed, was capable of speeds slightly in excess of Warp 2. This was 50 years before the "official" breaking of the Warp 2 "barrier" by Commander Robinson. Data wondered if the loss of the Prometheus might have been a factor in the disappearance of the legendary Zefram Cochrane. Yes, warp drive had vastly expanded humankind's horizons but, as evidenced most clearly by their encounters with the Borg, had exposed humanity to dangers far more real than ever imagined.

Riker spoke first, saying "So, what do we do if we find the 'Flying Dutchman?' " "Standard first-contact protocol, Will. If- and it's a big 'if'- they came out here it was to make contact with these 'Engineers'. If they exist they are obviously a very old race and odds are that they have technologies far in excess of our own. Which reminds me...Mr. Barclay, on our last mission you were able to increase the shield capabilities by 300 percent, Was that a one-shot deal or can you do it again?"

Reg looked surprised and stammered "It was easy. All I did was take the shield generator antenna array from omnidirectional and focused all of the energy on a single point. With the recent upgrades I estimate that 300 percent is available in continuous mode, but a one-shot capability of 1000 percent is available. Just in case we encounter the Borg, sir."

Picard smiled and said "Good, Reg. Geordi, how are your engines?" "Ready to go, Captain. I recommend that we increase speed one warp factor at a time and allow me and Reg to collate the data as we go. How fast will we be going, anyway?" "Warp Nine, for a little over eight days." "Eight days at Warp Nine?! That's never been done before." Geordi mused. Reg spoke up and said "Captain, with the recent upgrades we should be able to bump right up against the Warp Ten barrier without the engines overheating as they did the first time we tried to outrun the Borg." Picard smiled and said "I appreciate both of your efforts, but I doubt that we'll need all of that."

"Mister Worf, tactical status?" "Phaser upgrades are complete, next generation photon torpedoes fully loaded, new targeting program installed and simulations complete. Enterprise can target and fire on multiple targets at once, and automatically select weapon type and strength based upon the Captain's orders."

"Well done. Mister Worf. Mister Data, I recommend that you study an ancient Earth language known as Proto-Indo-European. Can you download the information into our tricorders and universal translators? We may be required to read hieroglyphics here. Besides, you may encounter an ancestor of yours."

Data turned his head and said "Ancestor, Sir?"

"Weyland Industries was heavily involved with humanoid androids and artificial intelligence at the time. One of the crew members was an android named "David 8". His technical information is contained in the mission file if you could review it at your leisure."

"Of course, Captain."

Picard spoke to everyone when he said, half-seriously, "I need everyone to be on their 'A'-game. Boothby himself warned me about the perils of this mission." Data was puzzled; "Boothby, sir?" "Yes, Boothby. Turns out that Star Fleet asked him to provide a DNA sample because one of his ancestors was 'lost' on this mission."

"Geordi, when can we leave Spacedock?', Picard asked.

"We can leave anytime, Captain. Our work is complete and I believe we're waiting on nothing."

"Very well, meet on the bridge in one hour. Dismissed."

Everyone was at their stations as Picard looked around his bridge. He sat in his chair and asked Riker for a status report. "We're ready to go whenever you are, Captain."

"Very good, Commander. Helm, status report?"

The helmsman replied "Course plotted and laid in, Captain."

"Mister LaForge?"

"Engines ready,Captain. I'll work the console here on the bridge, Barclay is on the console in main engineering."

"Very good. Mister Data?"

"All ship's systems are nominal, Captain."

"Very well then. Helm, take us out."

The Enterprise changed from the inanimate object it had been for the past month and became a living, breathing vessel. As she exited Spacedock, the latest nav and gravitational information was uploaded into her nav computers. "One-half impulse", Picard said. The ship swung around and pointed to a place in the heavens where it had never gone before.

"Geordi, the engines are yours."

"Thank you, Captain. OK, Reg, let's kick it up to Warp One and check for 'wormholes'. Keep a sharp eye on the intermix ratio until the new matter-antimatter mixing valves learn the system."

Then, remembering Enterprise tradition, Geordi looked at Picard and said "Captain, if you would give the word?"

Picard looked out at the stars, pointed to the screen, and said "Engage!"

Geordi touched a control, and the stars began to move by as the Enterprise and her crew headed off, to boldly go where no one, or someone, had gone before.

(end of Chapter Two)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Enter The Mythology

Since the warp engine acceleration tests were proceeding smoothly, Picard turned the bridge over to Riker and went into his ready room. "Tea, Earl Gray, hot." he said, then after getting his tea he settled down in his chair. "I have eight days", he thought to himself, "let's see what's in this 'Nostromo' file."

The file opened with the Weyland-Yutani logo, along with "top secret, Captain's eyes only". This piqued Picard's interest, because why would a file about a space legend be classified nearly 250 years later? He allowed the file to play...seems that Weyland-Yutani's scientists had sent out their own FTL probes, and one of them received what appeared at first to be a transmission indicating an intelligent source. At first they believed it to be a distress beacon, but soon learned that it was actually a warning beacon. First, he played the attached file of the audio transmission and asked the computer to translate. It was indeed a warning, in Proto-Indo-European, a detailed description of a xenophobic monstrosity which the originator of the transmission had encountered. He then viewed Special Order 937, which stated the following:

"Priority One: Insure return of organism for analysis. All other considerations secondary."

What Picard read next made his blood run cold...

"Crew expendable."

He sat back in his chair, awestruck at this small glimpse into the hypercapitalistic society of the time. Weyland-Yutani was willing to sacrifice a crew for profit. As this was sinking in, he heard the sound of his door chimes.

"Come", he said, pausing the program.

Guinan entered the room, wearing as serious a look as he'd ever seen her wear. Picard thought "First Boothby, now Guinan?"

"Hello, Jean-Luc. We need to talk."

Guinan only called him by his first name when something serious was afoot, and so Picard invited her to enter and sit down, but it was a response because she'd already done that.

"I know what you're reading, Jean-Luc, and what I can tell you is that if you choose to go to Acheron you will place this ship, its crew, and all of the Federation at a risk far greater than the Borg will ever pose!"

Picard was used to this, and asked her if she'd seen the Star Fleet report. "I've heard the stories and legends." she replied. "What are they about?" Picard asked.

Guinan went on "Ever since people of this region of space have taken to the stars there have been stories of a moon in what you call the Zeta 2 Reticuli system that is home to the most fearsome creature ever encountered. Ships and crews that have gone there have simply vanished, and the last attempt by Weyland-Yutani met with disaster at Hadley's Hope. There is supposed to be a derelict spacecraft there that, like the Sirens of Earth seafaring lore, lure explorers in then kills them with their own curiosity. No one knows where it came from."

Picard sat back, thought about it for a moment, then invited Guinan to watch the file with him. When it was over, Picard looked at Guinan and said "I know that I can trust you, but do NOT share any of this with anyone." She smiled, nodded, and said "Understood." He said "If this trail we're on leads to Acheron, we will not go alone."

Then he added "Should I inform my bridge officers as I have you?"

"Might as well. They deserve to know so they can prepare, especially Data, Dr. Crusher, and Lieutenant Worf."

"Understood. Guinan, will you assist me with this briefing?"

"I'll tell you everything I know."

Picard touched his communicator and said "Picard to Riker. Number One, I need the bridge officers AND BARCLAY in my ready room in five minutes."

"Aye aye, Captain!" was the reply.

(end of chapter)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Complications

Everyone was seated as Picard and Guinan entered the ready room. Everyone was seated and couldn't imagine why the Captain had such a sound of urgency in his voice. He thanked everyone for coming on such short notice, then said "There was another file folder in the package. I just reviewed it along with Guinan, and she has some interesting and dangerous things to tell us. Guinan, if you will..."

"Thank you, Captain. Everyone in this room has at least heard of the loss of the Nostromo, am I right?"

Data went on..."The Nostromo was an interstellar towing vehicle owned by Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Its last known port of departure was Thedus, in 2122. Its last reported position was near Zeta 2 Reticuli, well off its normal course. The lone survivor was Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley. It was never known why they were so far off course." Data found a parallel from the late 20th century, when for reasons unknown Korean Air Flight 007 somehow went off course and strayed over the Kamchatka Penisula, at that time a part of the Soviet Union. But he said nothing, contemplating how history always seems to repeat itself with the same results time and time again. That incident nearly led to World War 3, the loss of the Nostromo led to the formation of the Federation and Star Fleet.

"Thank you, Data. For the rest of you, Star Fleet has somehow received some very disturbing information which was found in the archives of an abandoned division of what once was Weyland-Yutani." Guinan cued up the files, and the presentation began with the recorded testimony of Ellen Ripley some 57 years after the last recorded information about the Nostromo. While the crew and Guinan digested the information, Data was computing the distance to LV-426 from LV-223 as a subroutine while absorbing the rest of Ripley's testimony as well as reports from the failed rescue mission to Hadley's Hope and Ripley's eventual death on a now-long-abandoned penal colony.

Data was taken aback by the fact that an android, Ash, was primarily responsible for the loss of the Nostromo and her crew. He just couldn't comprehend that one of his "kin" could be complicit to what amounted to a corporation-sanctioned mass murder in the name of profit. "Even the Ferengi would never stoop to that", he silently thought to himself. Then he wondered why Asimov's laws of robotics were totally ignored by that generation of android builders and programmers. Special Order 937 was the icing on the cake, bringing tears from Troi and Dr. Crusher.

You could have heard a pin drop when it ended...

Picard said "I apologize for not having told you sooner, but these files weren't part of our mission. They may become part of our mission, and I need ideas. Out of all recorded contacts with these Xenomorphs, no one has survived."

Guinan looked at Picard and said "That's not entirely correct. There is another ancient spacefaring race involved here. In your language, their name translates to 'Predators'. Star Fleet has never encountered them, either."

"Like the Klingons?" Picard asked.

Worf spoke and said "Klingon mythology speaks of great hunters from the sky who would come to battle our strongest warriors. I will have to search the Klingon database to see if I can find an image, Captain."

"Did any of your warriors survive, Worf?" Riker asked.

"No, not according to the legends. According to the legends, they stopped visiting the homeworld a few centuries before we ourselves took to space."

Crusher was next, saying that from Ripley's testimony these creatures were at least three meters in height and approximately 200 kilograms in weight. "Concentrated molecular acid for blood. Inner retractable jaws. Data, from the testimony and Ripley's descriptions do you think you can create a holographic image of this creature?"

"I believe I can, Doctor. I will begin working on it at once after this meeting has concluded."

Barclay had sat silently all this time, but now the wheels had been turning and he had ideas. "Captain, if I may?"

"By all means, Mr. Barclay."

Barclay stood up and said "This acid has the capability to eat through just about anything short of pure neutronium, and I'm not sure about that either."

Worf said "I could kill it with a batleth!'

Guinan replied dryly "That thing has a 15 foot long tail with a barbed end. It would kill you before you got close enough to have your batleth melt from the acid!"

"It is without honor!"

"It doesn't care about 'honor'! It lives to reproduce, and will kill anything that gets too close to it!"

Picard interrupted Worf and Guinan's "lovefest" and asked Barclay if he had any ideas.

"Yes, Captain." he replied. "I have been working on a modification to the comm badges and tricorders that will give them the ability to function as portable, personal shield generators. In my simulations thus far, they can withstand a phaser on kill for 10 strikes, or deflect a mass equivalent to 10 tons up to 100 times with no problems. Transport is possible while the wearer is protected, and the shield device will function automatically to protect the wearer from a blindside attack."

Picard was clearly impressed. "Let me play 'devil's advocate', Barclay. What if one of those 'facehuggers' gets ahold of one of the crew?"

Barclay was ready..."I have been working on a way to separate a 'facehugger' from a person by using the transporter. The procedure is similar to that used for childbirth distress (looks at Dr. Crusher) but instead of only transporting a baby from its mother's womb you separate the facehugger and its embryo from its 'host' and beam it out into space or into solid rock if we're close enough to a planetary body."

Dr. Crusher looked amazed, but asked if the 'facehugger' wouldn't try to kill the host before it could be removed?

"By the time the 'facehugger' realizes what's happening it's already part of a matter stream and unable to wrap its tail around anything but empty space or solid rock."

"But what if a 'chestburster' gets out? What happens to the host then?" she asked.

"Everyone on this ship has a transporter body pattern on file. Thanks to the Cytherians (he smiled and tapped his head with his forefinger) I have modified the transporters so that while a person is in the energy state the transporter can automatically repair the damage caused by the little critter. Perform CPR on the victim as soon as they rematerialize, and it'll be like it never even happened. Dealing with the nightmares will be Counselor Troi's challenge."

She shuddered at the thought of having to help someone through nightmares like those, and thought of Ripley's struggles with nightmares after having been rescued.

"You seem to have all of the bases covered, Mr. Barclay. But what if we have a full-grown monster roaming the ship?"

"The xenomorph is able to mimic the DNA of its host, so having the transporter lock on to its DNA signature would normally present a problem. But since the 'host' will either be dead, or in Sick Bay after transporter repair, we tell the computer which 'target' to lock on to and beam it out into space, or into solid rock."

"It won't 'roam' very far, Captain."

"How do we protect ourselves from its acid blood?"

"The personal shield will provide sufficient protection, but you don't want to shoot holes in it with a phaser or even try to stun it. Maximum setting if we have to go down there."

Picard looked satisfied as he turned to Guinan and asked "How do you feel now?"

"Better, but still wary. Everyone who encountered these creatures had a 'plan' and no one except Ripley came out alive and at that, it took three tries for her to finally lose her life."

Picard sat back in his chair and said "We're three days out. How are your engines holding up , Mr. LaForge?"

"Better than expected, Captain. We can give you more speed if you need it."

"That'll be quite alright, Geordi. We have five days to think about what we're going to do and what could possibly go wrong. Dismissed."

Picard stood in his room, looking out the window as the stars rushed past the Enterprise. He thought about how spaceflight was once the stuff of dreams, and how it became the realm of astronauts and cosmonauts, brave people who willingly strapped themselves into chemical rockets that blasted them into the heavens, sometimes in the literal sense. Now, he drank hot tea while he contemplated what may await them.

Door chimes. "Come" said Picard, and turned to welcome Data into the room.

Data said "I'm puzzled, Captain. How could humans be so cruel that they would risk annihilation of every life on Earth for the sake of profit?"

"Data, you know as well as I that even today, there are those who put the pursuit of personal gain ahead of any other concerns. They don't think about the consequences of what they're doing until it's too late."

"Have you thought about the consequences of what we're doing?"

"I have, Data. That's why I have an open door and am willing to entertain suggestions, options, and alternatives."

"What do you think we'll find on LV-223?"

"I hope that we find answers, and nothing else."

"I hope so, too. Thank you, Captain."

"You're quite welcome, Data. Dismissed."

(end of Chapter 4)


	5. Chapter 5

The Prometheus Legend Chapter 5

Troi was the first...she began showing signs that she wasn't sleeping and sought out the advice of Dr. Crusher...

"Beverly, I'm having nightmares about this mission", she said worriedly.

"What kind of nightmares?"

"They go on all night, and even when I force myself to wake up when I do fall asleep the dream begins where it left off. They seem to be getting stronger the closer we get to LV-223."

Well, what's the subject matter?"

It's always the same...there's this albino humanoid of a species we've never encountered before and he's screaming something at me in a language I can't understand. He's about 8 or so feet tall and he picks me up and shakes me as if I were a toy!"

Beverly thought for a moment, and said "Commander Data has been working on a way to be able to interact with people while they're dreaming. Would you like to try that?"

Troi said "If Data can get the nightmares to stop, I'm all for it."

Troi and Data made arrangements, and after Troi was asleep Data activated his dream scanning link. He was following Deanna through what appeared to be a cave of some sort, but instead of rock walls these appeared to be organic in nature, as if the cave had been grown instead of dug. There was a light coming from ahead, and as they walked towards it, suddenly a bellowing voice came from the light and Deanna's humanoid ran towards her. Data recognized the language as Proto-Indo-European, and the creature was screaming "Why have you come here? You have no place in this universe!" The creature was as she had described, about eight feet tall, and quite muscular. Data was unable to find a match in the Federation database, but things changed when the humanoid realized that Data had joined them. "You worthless experiment, you have the audacity to bring a construct here with you?!" He dropped Deanna, and turned meanacingly towards Data. He lifted Data off the ground and threw him. In mid-fall, Data terminated the dream link, bringing himself out and awakening Deanna. For a moment, they looked at one another, then Data asked her if she was alright. She was, and Beverly suggested a sleep aid that would supress Deanna's ability to dream. Data said "I must see the Captain. I believe that he will find this interesting."

"Was it the Xenomorph, Data?", Beverly asked.

"I do not believe so. This humanoid is not in the Federation database and although it is clearly angry, it did not attempt to kill us as I believe the Xenomorph would have."

Then he turned to Troi, and said "Counselor. This may be far-fetched, but I believe that the spirit of one of the 'Engineers' is trying to reach out to you."

"I thought that you didn't believe in ghosts, Data"

"Normally, I do not. But I believe that if the apparition was being constructed by your own mind it would not have recognized that I was observing the dream, much less attack me."

Then he said "I believe that I have enough data to recreate a holographic image of your 'Engineer', and can replay the entire dream on the Holodeck if you desire."

Troi said "Yes, by all means. Others may be experiencing this but not know what to do about it."

As he left, Data turned and thanked Deanna for allowing him to experience her dreams. She smiled and said "No, Data, thank you."

Data was still analyzing the dream for clues when he entered Picard's ready room. He presented his findings...the 'Engineer' was not in any Federation exobiology database, and based upon Data's view, was probably from a world with more gravity than Earth and less sunlight as well. That narrowed the search, but once again, none of those worlds had ever had a population of these enigmatic humanoids. On the other hand, Data now could say with certainty that Proto-Indo-European was indeed this creature's language and as such, he would reprogram the Universal Translators with the language database.

Picard's head was filled with thoughts now...here was definitive proof that whatever these creatures were or where they were from, their language had been the root of every language on Earth as well as several other Federation systems. How much more of civilization did we owe to these Engineers, he thought.

Picard thought for a second, then said "Data, if you and Deanna feel up to it I would like both of you to try again. This time ask the Engineer what he wants."

Data thought about it, and said "That is an excellent idea, Captain. I will put on my 'Sherlock Holmes' hat!"

"That's fine, Data, but first, set up your program in Holodeck Three and inform me when you're ready. I think everyone will want to see this."

Everyone assembled in Holodeck Three, and Data began replaying the dream sequence. When the image of the Engineer attacked Deanna, Worf instinctively growled and clenched his fists. Riker was next to him and smiled as he said "It's only a dream, Big Boy." Worf realized what he was doing, and felt a bit sheepish as he said "This being has no honor, attacking a much smaller female." Riker replied "From what Deanna is dreaming you might get your chance at him."

Data and Crusher examined the image, and concluded that whatever it was it wasn't all that different than most of the humanoids in the Federation's database. There were smaller humanoids from lower-gravity worlds, those from higher-gravity worlds, like Klingons, were more muscular and physically larger by comparison.

Crusher said "I think we can assume that his kind are from a heavy-gravity world that has less sunlight than Earth...look at his eyes."

Worf was more pragmatic..."What phaser setting should we use to stun this humanoid?"

Crusher thought about it for a second, then said "Compensate according to body mass, Worf. There are professional athletes and genetically modified humans his size and I believe that you could use their data as a baseline."

Data was inspecting the Engineer's bodysuit, and said "I am unable to determine if this is merely clothing or some advanced form of body armor."

After a while, they had finished evaluating the Engineer. Data turned to Picard and asked "Captain, I believe that I have a working model of the Xenomorph as well. Would you like to see it?"

Picard nodded his approval, Data touched a few controls and the dream and the Engineer vanished. The holodeck computer began constructing a monstrous creature, some three meters in height with a long reptilian tail with a barb on its end. Troi and Crusher let out instinctive gasps while Worf's pupils dilated and his fists clenched yet again. Everyone else's heart skipped a beat. Riker looked at Worf and asked him if he felt that he could defeat the creature in hand-to-hand combat. Worf knew that Riker was joking...as the creature's mouth opened and its inner set of jaws and teeth revealed themselves Crusher had to fight back the fear as she examined the holographic representation.

"Where are its eyes, Data?" Picard asked.

"There do not appear to be any exposed optics but there is not enough data on the Xenomorph. There has never been anything like it encountered anywhere by any of the Federation members."

Riker asked "Data, would it be fair to compare it with a shark?"

Data thought about it, then said "That would be a fair comparison, Commander. It kills, eats, and makes baby Xenomorphs."

"A perfect killing machine, then?"

"You could say that, Commander."

Crusher said "Data, I don't see any reproductive organs on this creature. Was anything mentioned in the database?"

"According to the log from the failed rescue at Hadley's Hope, these creatures have a societal structure much like that of bees or ants. That expedition encountered a queen and a hive inside the atmospheric processing unit. From studying the schematics of the device the creatures are most comfortable at temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius, although their construction could allow them to withstand a temperature range from cryogenics to molten metals."

Worf said "So, which version is this?"

"This version is classified as a 'warrior'. It is a combination of a worker, soldier, and drone."

"I would like to fight it, Data. Is that possible?"

"I have programmed this image with the information available in the database. But I must warn you that even with full holodeck safety protocols engaged you stand a good chance of being severely injured."

"Ha, let me be the judge of that! Today is a good day to die!"

Data looked at Picard. Picard asked Worf if he was sure that he wanted to do this, and Worf replied that as Chief of Security it was his job to find out how this creature fought and if there were any weaknesses that might be exploited.

Picard said "Alright, Worf, but if this gets out of hand I'm stopping the simulation."

"Agreed, Captain."

Everyone stood between Data and the Holodeck door. Barclay had his hand on the holodeck's power source just in case. Worf took a fighting stance about five meters away from the creature, and nodded his head. Worf asked the computer for a batleth, a knife, a spear, and a phaser. He was now armed to the teeth...at least against anything he'd ever fought against.

Data touched a control, and the Xenomorph snarled to life. It hissed and showed its inner jaws as Worf began to slowly circle the creature, its head turning to follow him. The first strike was the tail...Worf saw it coming and swung his batleth, severing the tail's tip. The beast howled with pain and came at Worf. Like a bullfighter, Worf held the base of the spear against the ground as the creature fell upon it. Holographic acid hissed upon the holographic floor as Worf rolled out of the creature's way as it fell. He thought that he had the upper hand until the creature stood up and pulled what was left of the spear out of its body...then it turned and hissed at Worf.

This battle was far from over!

The phaser's strongest settings merely slowed the creature down, and eventually it grabbed Worf and held him as its inner jaws were exposed to make the kill...

"Computer, end simulation!"

Barclay blanched and said "I have work to do!", and headed off towards Engineering. Dr. Crusher checked Worf out, and although he had several deep cuts and many bruises he echoed Barclay's sentiments.

Silently, none of them hoped to encounter this creature.

(end of chapter)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Getting Closer

Troi and Data were in Sick Bay, preparing to activate the dream link, while Picard, Riker, and Worf waited in Holodeck Three. When Data activated the link, it was as if all of them were on an away team. Data suggested letting Troi lead the team, and when she walked towards the light at the end of the tunnel, she was once again beset by the albino humanoid.

"Why are you here...?" then his deeply resonant voice trailed off as he realized that his voice was being translated. He stopped in his tracks, looked at Data, and demanded "Construct, I command you to tell me what language is this!"

Picard spoke up..."I am Captain of this vessel, you will direct your inquiries to me."

"Puny failed experiment! You are even more pitiful than the female you push out before you!"

That angered Deanna..."How dare you refer to us as 'failed experiments'. We have every right..."

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS HERE!" the Engineer bellowed. "You are just a failed experiment from another planet in this section of the galaxy. All of you...especially the one with the ridged forehead!"

"I am Klingon", Worf stood tall, "and am proud to represent my people with honor!"

Picard interrupted, utilizing all of his training in hostile first contact situations, and asked "Engineer, what is it that you want from us?"

The Engineer hadn't noticed that Riker and Worf had gone around him while his attention was focused on Picard and Deanna, but he whirled and ran towards the light and suddenly, everyone was back in the holodeck. Riker and Worf were laying on the floor, and Picard asked them what happened. Riker said that he and Worf seemed to have been in an area of a ship analogous to a control room before the Engineer discovered them and "killed" them both with little effort.

"It was like being a blade of grass before a tornado!", Riker said

"He spit on me!", Worf said. "This creature has no honor and I could feel nothing but utter contempt from him."

Picard helped them up, and suggested a stop in Ten Forward before retiring for the night. They would be reaching this moon in a few scant hours and clearly needed to be at their best.

Guinan poured them their drinks and playfully asked how their "encounter" with the phantom Engineer went.

Riker went first. He was rubbing his elbow, sore despite the holodeck safety protocols having saved him when the Engineer "threw" him against a wall, saying "Better than expected. We learned a lot in a few minutes."

"Anything you can use?"

"Haven't figured that out yet", he said, with Worf nodding in agreement.

Picard looked at Guinan and said "This being referred to all of us as 'failed experiments', and seems to harbor particular animosity towards Klingons."

Guinan looked at Worf, smiled, and said "That's my Worf, always 'Mister Congeniality'."

"Guinan, he was hostile towards humans, Betazeds, androids, and Klingons. If we had more time before we arrive it would be a worthy experiment for us to appear as other Federation members and observe what his reaction to them would be."

"Captain, there are a lot of civilizations, mine among them, whose mythology includes 'sky angels'. My guess is that a holographic cask of Romulan ale wouldn't get this 'Engineer' to lighten up."

Picard sighed "I may be forced to agree with you. The shame of it all is that we've learned that his language is a root language for most of the Federation members, so their race had a huge influence on all of us."

"I know that you really want to learn from this, Jean-Luc, but you should accept the possibility of a total failure."

He looked out the viewer at the stars rushing by, and said "I hope not."

Then he added "I never got an answer to my question...what does he want?"

(end of chapter)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Arrival at LV-223

Picard felt it first, a subtle, nearly imperceptible shift in Enterprise that told him that they were in the process of deceleration before entering orbit around LV-223.

Eight days, eight days that became longer with each new bit of information they'd discovered. "So much for the Nostromo 'myth' ", he thought, "That vessel DID exist, was destroyed due to callous disregard on the part of Weyland-Yutani, and they were able to cover it up for all these years. Perhaps there is a sense of justice in the company having been sold to Wal-Mart and then broken up."

Then, the sound of Number One's voice over the com..."Riker to Picard."

"Go ahead, Will."

"Entering standard orbit of LV-223 and beginning scans of the planetoid."

I'll be right there, Will."

Picard drew a deep breath, stood up, pulled his tunic down, and strode through the doors and took his seat on the bridge.

"Anything, Commander Data?"

"Nothing remarkable so far, Captain. The moon has a diameter of approximately 1200 kilometers and a gravity of 0.86 of Earth's. The atmospheric content is 71 percent nitrogen, three percent carbon dioxide, 21 percent oxygen, the rest traces of argon and other gases. Temperature at the crash site is 10 degrees Celsius."

Picard leaned over to Riker, and said "Not all that much different than Earth."

Riker replied dryly "Nothing that a few million trees couldn't handle!"

Picard had to smile...they would need their humor going in today.

Data continued working at his console, saying "There appear to be several structures laid out in a straight line, but there are no life signs or power sources. There is a debris field that spans approximately one kilometer from one of the structures and...there are two vessels on the surface."

Everyone's heart skipped a beat, but Picard spoke first...

"What kind of vessels, Data?"

"One is asymmetrical in design, horseshoe-shaped, approximately 116.6 meters wide. Its "port" prong measures 161.6 meters in length and the "starboard" prong measures 174.3 meters. The gap between the prongs is 61 meters. There appears to be an exhaust port of some sort on the side of the vessel opposite the open end. There are three open entrances at the midpoint of the part of the vessel opposite the exhaust port, and one a few meters away from the exhaust port. The "front" openings are ten meters above grade, but the rear one is equal to grade. The other vessel is much smaller, is heavily damaged, and was possibly a 'lifeboat'. I am reading no energy signatures from either vessel, Captain."

"Data, can you put it on the screen?"

Data touched his ops console controls, and the image of the Juggernaut filled the viewscreen.

"Mister Worf?", Picard asked.

Worf had been busy attempting to run an identification on the ship as soon as the tactical sensors began analyzing the vessel for any weaponry.

"Captain, this vessel does not appear in the Federation registry. Scans for weapons are inconclusive. I suggest we raise shields."

Riker chimed in, saying "I agree with Worf. We better be on the safe side since weapons scans are inconclusive."

"Make it so!", Picard said.

Data touched a few more controls and frowned..."There are no power signatures, no weapons signatures, no gravity or life support. There are, however, approximately two thousand containers that appear to contain a mutagenic pathogen."

Riker looked stunned, and asked of no one in particular "Why would someone be working on a bioweapon that's been banned by every civilization in the quadrant?"

Then, Data turned to Picard, and said "Captain, there are remains scattered around the site. They register as human and...one registers as humanoid."

Picard looked at Troi, and said "Your 'Engineer'."

Data looked puzzled as the scans continued coming in. "There is one skeleton that is neither human nor humanoid. I cannot find any other such animals on the planet's surface. Indigenous life consists of mosses, lichens, and a few species of worms."

Picard looked around the bridge and said "Well, we've come this far. What do you think, Worf?"

"I suggest that a full security detachment accompany the away team, with all of Mister Barclay's armaments and weapons upgrades."

Picard activated the intercom and said "Doctor Crusher, will you join us in the transporter room and head up the remains identification and recovery team?"

"I'm on my way, Captain."

Picard turned and said "Counselor, Data, Worf, you're with me. Number One, you have the bridge."

"What if our 'ghost Engineer' shows up?"

Picard smiled back, and said "Ask him what he wants."

They went to the transporter room, met the security team, then got on the pads.

"Energize..."

(end of chapter)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The first day on LV-223

Captain Picard, Worf, Data, and Dr. Crusher were first to beam down to the surface of LV-223. They were the first humans, or for practical purposes, anyone else to visit the cold. windswept moon in over 250 years. They looked at the debris field around them, and Beverly began scanning for remains while Data scanned for environmental data and Worf scanned for any threats.

"Captain", Worf said "I detect no threats nor living organisms. I believe that it is safe for Dr. Crusher and her team to begin their work."

Data said "I concur, Captain. I am picking up traces of materials used in space vehicle construction from Earth of approximately the latter half of the 21st Century."

Picard looked at Beverly and told her that she could have her team beam down to begin their work.

"Data,", he said, "can you scan the lifeboat?"

"Yes, Captain." After a few seconds, he said "There are no power or life signs coming from the lifeboat. The skeleton of the Engineer and the unknown skeleton are aboard. The doors have been open for many years and the inside of the vessel has been exposed to the elements."

They walked towards the lifeboat, being careful to not touch any wreckage that was in their way. Worf took the lead, and they all entered the lifeboat.

There was not a sound as they entered and made their way through the wreckage of the lifeboat's interior...books being strewn all over the floor. Worf saw them first...two skeletons lying on the floor amid empty food ration containers strewn about the floor. He said "Captain..." and held up his hand for Picard to stop. Data entered next, scanning as he went, and said "Captain, these are the two skeletons." He bent down to take readings with the Tricorder, and looked at the readings in amazement.

"Captain, according to my tricorder, the Engineer skeleton is over 2200 years old, while this other skeleton is only about 250 years old."

Then he looked at the Engineer's broken skeleton, and said "Captain, I believe that this unknown skeleton is of a Xenomorph 'birthed' of this Engineer. Its construction is similar to that of the xeno found on LV-426 but not exactly the same."

Picard looked around, and asked Data if there was any chance that ship's log information might be contained here on the lifeboat. Data touched a few controls on his Tricorder and said "There are surveillance cameras located in the ceiling. I believe that unless they were damaged I should be able to access and download their logs."

"Make it so, Data." Picard said. He looked curiously at a fire axe that was on the floor near the two skeletons and wondered why it was there...

"Picard to Dr. Crusher."

"Go ahead, Captain."

"How's it coming, Beverly?"

"We've been able to identify and recover the remains of several crew members so far."

"Carry on, Doctor. We've located the remains of Deanna's 'nightmare' and have a good idea of what killed him. Picard out."

Picard looked at the scene around him and sighed. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction didn't bring these people back home.

"These people went where no one had gone before and paid with their lives", he thought. "They weren't really all that different than anyone in Star Fleet. They were just a few hundred years ahead of their time."

Data interrupted Picard's daydreaming, informing the captain that he had indeed found the logs of the Prometheus and should be able to play them back once they returned to the Enterprise. Picard smiled weakly and told Data that he looked forward to viewing the logs. Data asked if he might return to the Enterprise to begin reconstructing the logs, and Picard said "Yes, by all means. Mr. Worf and I will remain here with Dr. Crusher and her team."

"Data to Enterprise. One to beam up."

"Well, Mr. Worf. I think that we've done all we can do here. Let's join Beverly until she's ready to leave. We can explore the other ship tomorrow."

They walked over to where Dr. Crusher and her team had assembled to begin transport. Some of them had already returned to the ship, so Picard asked Beverly how her team did.

"Very well, Captain. So far, we've identified and recovered the remains of Chance, Ravel, Janek, Millburn, Fifield, Holloway, as well as several others listed as among the missing. The skeletons of Holloway, Millburn, and Fifield are relatively intact while the others were scattered over the debris field. Holloway was incinerated, Fifield died from blunt force trauma, and I have no idea what killed Millburn. Those three show evidence of having had their DNA mutated by something."

Picard looked at Worf and said "The mutagenic pathogen Commander Data mentioned in his earlier scans."

"And, Captain?", she said. "You'll have quite a story to tell Boothby when we return home. Seems that he wasn't the first in his family to go off-Earth."

Picard surveyed the debris field, sighed, and asked Beverly if her work was completed.

She said "Well, we haven't found remains for Shaw, Peter Weyland, Meredith Vickers, Ford, one of the armed guards, and the android."

Picard looked towards the crashed Juggernaut, and said "Perhaps Data can scan the interior and find your answers, Doctor. Ready to beam up?"

"Ready, Jean-Luc."

"Picard to Enterprise, three to beam up."

...and with that, the "graveyard" became as silent again as it had been for the last 253 years.

(end of chapter)


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Digesting the Data

It was a good thing Data didn't need to sleep, because he worked all through the "night" collating the vast amount of information that the crew of the Prometheus had gathered in their logs. They had arrived at LV-223 on Christmas Day, 2093 and had begun exploring one of the structures when a sudden storm forced them to return to the ship. Two of the crew members, Fifield and Millburn, had gotten lost inside the structure (Data wondered how that happened, since Fifield had deployed state-of-the art mapping equipment) and had discovered a pile of Engineer skeletons. Data chalked it up to panic, an understandable human emotion given the circumstances they were in. He watched as the holographic Engineers ran past the explorers, then watched as they found the decapitated Engineer and entered the chamber where the mutagenic pathogen was stored. He compared the images with the map data so that he could recreate where this extreme biohazard was stored and chart a route around it for the away team.

He saw how Holloway was the first to exhibit signs of exposure, then they found Millburn's body. Things went downhill rapidly from there. Data recoiled in as much horror his emotion chip would allow him to experience as he watched Shaw's self-Caesarian and the unknown creature that came from within. He guessed that somehow Shaw had been exposed to the mutagen and this was the result. He made the connection between the two skeletons in the lifeboat and the LV-426 xenomorph's known life cycle. Unlike David, Data had no secret orders to return a creature to Star Fleet for analysis, but quickly determined that if left alone the pathogen would eventually fall into the hands of someone far less principled, perhaps the Borg or Romulans. If they couldn't assimilate us, they would exterminate us.

He watched as humankind's first contact after the Vulcans unfolded...he understood what the Engineer asked, and what David told him. He watched as David's head was torn off, and used to bludgeon Weyland to death. He knew that there were more remains to be found inside the alien vessel and that they would have to go there. The video from inside the vessel ended there, changing to a bridge view of the Prometheus ramming the vessel to prevent it from leaving for Earth. "I've worked out the broad strokes," David had said. "They were in the process of leaving when things went to pot."

"Leaving to go where, David?"

"Earth."

"Why?"

"Sometimes in order to create, you must first destroy."

Data's head twitched as he analyzed this conversation...the Engineers intended to destroy humanity, and only by accident were they prevented. Star Fleet would surely have intercepted and destroyed any such vessel today, but 250 years ago this ship would have arrived unannounced and unchallenged. But...why haven't his kind returned here in over 2250 years to complete the mission? Answers to one question often lead to several more, he thought.

Data turned to the computer console in his quarters and began more detailed scans of the horseshoe-shaped vessel using the maps as a template. He found the various sections of the ship, including the cargo hold. The containers were intact, and the chamber was sealed behind bulkheads probably activated after the collision with the Prometheus. The ship was not constructed of metal, but of a material akin to carbon nanotubes that appeared to have been grown rather than manufactured. He found the bridge, and bones from only three humans and nothing from David. They would be able to beam in without having to encounter the pathogen.

He scanned the drive section, and concluded that Barclay would enjoy himself and perhaps the information could benefit the Federation. He directed the scanners to search the area immediately surrounding the vessel and was surprised to find human remains beneath one arm. "Computer," he asked, "was the human taking shelter beneath the arm?" "No." the computer replied. "Damage to the skeleton is consistent with crushing injuries."

Someone was probably running away after the collision, but who? The logs indicated that just before the collision the lifeboat and one lifepod with Meredith Vickers ejected from Prometheus, but what about Shaw? She vanished from view shortly after the Engineer killed everyone and hadn't been seen since. "One of two", Data thought.

He activated the log viewer and heard the final report of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, the lone survivor. She had survived the birth of an alien, being attacked by the Engineer, the crash of the alien vessel, had been attacked by the Engineer and had released the creature she'd birthed on him, confirming Data's earlier hypothesis, then had retrieved David's head and body and had set off for the Engineer homeworld in an one of their ships. "There are many more", David had said. They had somehow learned how to access Engineer technology, Data thought, and so he believed that he could do so as well. Dr. Crusher could retrieve Vickers' remains as well now. The bridge chamber scene held the clues...Data watched and listened intently as David played notes on a small flute and activated the bridge controls. He would be able to access the derelict vessel's technology...if it had any power available. Barclay could handle that, he thought.

"Computer, scan the entire area including all structures and vessels for the mutagenic pathogen." This mission could certainly "go to pot" in a hurry, Data thought. After a few seconds the computer gave its report..."There are no other pathogen storage areas. There are eight vessels of similar construction to the one on the surface and ten launching facilities." Data did the math, based upon the log video of the Engineer bridge chamber and its compliment of four EVA suits and four hypersleep chambers. Forty Engineers worked and died here. Data wondered if they were the last of their race, since none of the Federation members had ever encountered these humanoids for at least two millenia.

"Computer, scan the planet and the surrounding system for signs of similar vessels."

"There are no other vessels within scanning range."

That gave Data some relief, although a cloaked vessel would not show up on the scans. He wouldn't put it past the Romulans to allow the humans to "discover" the pathogen and then take it for themselves.

Shaw's final words, "And I'm still searching", was just another confirmation to Data that humanity's propensity for curiousity was sometimes its end, and sometimes its means.

Data stopped for a second to analyze all that he had seen. Peter Weyland was not searching for a bioweapon, he was searching for the answers to his existence and for a way to extend his own life. In that light, Weyland was more like a modern-day Ponce de Leon, searching for his own fountain of youth.

His internal chronometer told him that Picard and the rest would be waking up soon, and he began preparing his report and presentation for the officers.

And in a footnote, the Prometheus 'legend' had become reality. Weyland Corporation and Weyland-Yutani had been able to cover up these events for as long as the companies were in business.

(end of chapter)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Data's Report.

Data was at his ops station on the bridge working when Picard paged him. Data said that there was a lot of information contained in the logs and requested that the officers meet at 0800. Picard agreed, and Data sent out messages to all those invited.

Barclay looked at his computer screen with a bit of trepidation...what could he possibly have to offer? He hated the transporter, but Picard had given orders that under no circumstances was a shuttle to be sent to the surface unless he personally authorized it. He went about his morning preparations, thinking all the while about what his day might hold for him.

Troi had had another Engineer dream, but this one was different. This time, instead of attempting to hurt Troi, he had a serious, concerned look on his face. He spoke with her telepathically now, telling her that they were all going to die. She stood her ground and said "Many have perished in the discovery of new frontiers. It is our way." The Engineer smiled, and said "You are more like us that we imagined you'd be. We all died here."

Deanna smiled back and said "You can greet me on the other side if death is my fate here today. My name is Deanna Troi."

The Engineer gave a wry smile and said "My name is Gundar. I was a soldier in life, not an explorer, although that is what I wanted to be."

She awoke to the sound her computer made to signify that an incoming message had been received. She awoke with a feeling that was at once both sad and happy, but she didn't know why.

Meanwhile, Worf was thrashing about in his bed, dreaming about being on the verge of losing yet again to the holographic Xenomorph. He awoke, covered in sweat, and just lay there for a while staring at the ceiling. He wondered if it was a portent of his death, and thought that "perhaps today is a good day to die!" "But first, breakfast and a shower." he thought.

Picard, Riker, LaForge, Barclay, Worf, Troi, and Dr. Crusher were waiting when Picard and Data entered the room. Riker, Troi, Worf, and Crusher were discussing the possible meaning of the dreams they had had. Data said "Captain, based upon our previous encounters with this Engineer I wonder why he now seems concerned about our well-being."

Picard thought about it, then told Data that perhaps their "graveyard stroll" had shown the Engineer that their intentions were honorable.

Data began the presentation, showing the major events along with a timeline from the logs. He ended on a sad note, saying that since these events transpired over 250 years ago the odds were that wherever they ended up Elizabeth was long dead. He couldn't speculate about David, but came to the conclusion that the android was simply following Weyland's orders and had no idea that what he'd done would lead to such destruction and loss of life. They knew where they were but had no idea what they were doing. Things might have been different if David had seen what had happened to Fifield and Millburn.

Barclay listened but was far more engrossed in the engineering diagrams of the vessel and how one went about activating the bridge controls. He thought that the use of a flute as a key was ingenious and overly complicated at the same time...unless one had perfect pitch, turning the "ignition key" would be a very frustrating experience.

Picard turned to Reg and asked him if he thought that he might be able to power up the bridge controls so that Data could access the ship's logs and navigational information. "No problem, Captain" he replied.

Dr. Crusher said that she would require an excavation crew to recover the remains of Vickers, and Picard asked Worf to provide a security team "just in case."

They met at the transporter room, and beamed into the alien vessel without any problem. Worf swept the bridge for any threats, finding the remains of Ford, Weyland, and the mercenary.

He tapped his com badge and said "Worf to Doctor Crusher."

"Go ahead, Worf."

"There are three sets of human remains here inside the alien ship."

"I'm on my way."

A few seconds later, Crusher and a recovery technician materialized on the bridge. "It's like being in the belly of a whale", she said. Barclay thought about the metaphor and understood why he had the creeps. "Block it out, focus on the job!" he thought, as he returned to work analyzing the vessel's power systems.

The two doctors processed the remains, and requested transport to the Enterprise. Once gone, Picard looked around the room and investigated the hypersleep chambers. One was open and intact, the other three contained Engineer skeletons that had evidence of something having burst their chests open from the inside as they slept. "Live by the sword, die by the sword", Picard thought to himself.

Barclay asked Data to accompany him to what scans had indicated was the ship's engineering section. Data had to use his strength to slide the door open, and as they shined their lamps around the room they both came to the same conclusion...the ship was powered by zero-point energy and had the capability to antigrav hover, impulse, standard warp drive, and an equivalent to the then-theoretical quantum slipstream drive. Reg looked at Data, smiled, and said "We could learn a lot from this ship! Too bad we can't take it home with us."

Data frowned and said "The vessel is too large for the cargo bay. We cannot tractor it while in warp."

Reg smiled and said "I can always dream, can't I? If this isn't a power distribution panel then they're not using electricity." He scanned it, entered the data into a portable power unit he was carrying, and said "This or nothing!"

He shielded his eyes as he pressed a button, then watched with satisfaction as the ship's interior lighting began to function. "Barclay to Captain Picard, you should have lights now."

"Yes, we do. Thank you, Reg. Good work."

Data scanned the room again, saying "The life support equipment has started to function as well. Carbon dioxide levels are falling to Earth-normal levels."

He said "Nice work, Mister Barclay." Barclay smiled back, and said "Hey, I'm more than just another pretty face, you know. Let's try those bridge controls now that we have power."

They returned to the bridge, now looking a lot less creepy with the lights on, and began investigating the bridge controls. Picard had found a small flute and had given it to Data. He took it and played the same notes as David had, activating the bridge controls. Barclay said "Hold it a minute...don't touch anything...let the power converter stabilize first." Then he added "I believe that there are holographic emitters imbedded in the walls, Captain."

"Emitters? Why?"

Data had been pressing the console "buttons" in the same sequence as David had, and got the same results...the room lights dimmed as holographic Engineers strode about the bridge and when one activated the holographic star maps, the four of them stood in stunned amazement. Picard recalled how the captain of the Promellian battlecruiser they'd discovered last year had left his logs behind as his gravestone. These events had happened over 2250 years ago.

Picard looked at Data, and asked him if he recognized the star systems being displayed. "Yes, Captain. One is Earth, one is Vulcan, one is Betazed, one is Qo'n'os. There are others I do not recognize."

Picard thought about the implications of this...these humanoids had traveled far and wide throughout the galaxy, influencing countless planetary systems as they went.

Barclay interrupted Picard's daydreaming when he shouted "Yes!"

"What is it, Mister Barclay?"

"Captain, I have accessed and downloaded all of their navigational information as well as complete schematics and operational instructions of the ship! Data, scan here (pointing to a spot on the console). You should be able to access and download all of their logs as well."

Data began downloading the logs, saying that the oldest log entries had some signal degradation but he could use a predictive algorithm to fill in the gaps.

Picard smiled at Reg, saying "You might be in line for another award when we return home, Mister Barclay."

"Thank you, Captain." Reg was thoroughly enjoying himself, thinking about comparing notes with Geordi, when a monitor began beeping slowly. "Captain, we have about ten minutes of power left in the converter. I didn't expect the life support system to reactivate itself when I reapplied power."

Picard looked around, having climbed into the "Captain's chair", and asked "Well, if all of you have concluded your work, I suggest that we leave."

He climbed out of the chair, joined the others, and said "Picard to Enterprise. Four to beam up."

(end of chapter)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Call Of The Siren.

There was quite a few terabytes of data to analyze once everyone had returned to the Enterprise. Barclay was in Main Engineering comparing notes with Geordi. Geordi and Reg were like two kids on Christmas morning, sifting through the mountains of data with wide-eyed amazement. The technology in this ship could advance the state of Alpha Quadrant propulsion technology by leaps and bounds.

Dr. Crusher made a few last-minute log entries, then stopped to take a look around at the sealed containers which contained the remains of all in the ill-fated party save one human and one android. Picard had entered the cargo hold, and Beverly interrupted her daydreaming...

"You know, Jean-Luc, if people of their time had known about this expedition they would have been hailed as great explorers."

"I have wondered why Weyland went to such great lengths to hide what he was doing. Yes, he may well have been looked upon in the same light as Ponce de Leon, a fool searching for a fountain of youth, but that didn't make de Leon any less of an explorer nor did it diminish his work."

"Weyland had quite a distinguished career long before he resurrected NASA's Project Prometheus..."

Beverly thought about what she'd said, turned to Jean-Luc, and said "Ironic, isn't it?"

Picard surveyed the cargo hold, took a deep breath, and said "Yes, it certainly is. Knowing what we now know, I wonder if the loss of this ship and crew might have been a factor in the disappearence of Zephram Cochrane. Perhaps he felt somehow guilty that something he invented led to such great loss."

"All of them deserve to be remembered."

"I agree, Beverly. Perhaps Star Fleet could do something for them. I'll certainly be an advocate for a memorial of some kind."

Just then, Picard's communicator activated. "Data to Picard."

"Go ahead, Commander."

"Everyone is in Holodeck Three as per your request."

Thank you, Data. I'm on my way."

"Beverly, you're welcome to join us if you'd like."

"Thanks, Jean-Luc, but I still have a few things to do before we leave orbit for home. Dinner later, perhaps?

"Make it so!" he smiled as he walked away.

Picard entered the holodeck, and joined Data, Riker, Worf, Geordi, and Barclay. Data began his presentation with a synopsis of the holographic Engineers and the log recordings. They confirmed Data's suspicions, that the Engineers were overcome by their own creation before they could leave for Earth. The logs went on, showing how the first contact with these people had gone horribly wrong. Picard made mental notes of all of the errors these people made, but how were they supposed to know better? We'd only known the Vulcans for 30 years then, and they really hadn't begun to educate humans about how to introduce ourselves. "Never ask for eternal life!" Picard thought to himself.

Data accessed the star maps, and worked through the steps necessary to return to the Engineer homeworld. "As you can see, their homeworld is a planet cataloged as Kepler 62f, approximately 1200 light years from Earth. At maximum warp, it would take the Enterprise over one year to make the journey. As such, it is well outside Federation space, and is not part of the Romulan Empire nor any known spacefaring civilization."

"Thank you, Mr. Data. Mr. Barclay, your turn?"

"Thank you, Captain." Barclay activated his presentation, explaining the technical details of a vessel that was extremely old by human standards yet far in advance of anything in the known worlds. Zero-point energy, quantum slipstream drive, then Barclay made a suggestion that stunned everyone in the room:

"Captain, I believe I could pilot one of the undamaged vessels home."

Data looked surprised, and reminded Reg that he was not a language scholar, at least not in Proto-Indo-European. Reg rattled off several sentences in the ancient language, which caused Data to say "I stand corrected!"

"Captain, David watched what the Engineer did to get the ship in motion. It's in the logs. I can do the same thing and we can bring the ship home. It would be easier with a crew of four, as I believe that they took turns operating the vessel under certain circumstances, just as our crew rotation does."

"Out of the question!" Picard said, suddenly feeling like less of a captain and more like a martinet. "Star Fleet has people who specialize in this sort of thing and I'm inclined to let them do their jobs. We've done ours, now let's go home. Reg, how are the Enterprise's engines?"

Reg snapped out of his funk for a moment, telling Picard that the ship was in excellent condition and was ready to go home.

"Sorry, Captain" he said, eyes looking at the floor. "I let my enthusiasm get ahead of me."

Picard put his hand on Reg's shoulder, and said "I did that last year with that Promellian battlecruiser and I almost got all of us killed to satisfy my own curiosity."

Them he looked at everyone and said "Unless anyone has any further work to do on the surface I believe that we should leave orbit tomorrow and head for home."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Picard said "Dismissed."

(end of chapter)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Homeward Bound

Picard took his place in his Captain's chair as was standard procedure. The night watch reported nothing unusual, and he was about to give the order to break orbit when Geordi's worried voice came over the com.

"Captain, I can't locate Mr. Barclay and no one's seen him this morning."

"Standby, Geordi. Computer: please locate Lieutenant Barclay."

"Lieutenant Barclay is not aboard the Enterprise."

Riker rolled his eyes and exclaimed "Here we go again!"

Data worked his ops console controls, and said "Captain, according to his com badge signal, Mr. Barclay is aboard one of the alien vessels."

Picard was not happy! "Which one? The one with the bioweapon?"

"No, Captain. That ship is inoperable. He is in THAT vessel!"

Data was pointing to the viewscreen. A horseshoe-shaped vessel was slowly rising out of its launch platform. Barclay had somehow learned how to operate the vessel by watching the log videos and was going off on his own.

The "incoming message" bell sounded on Worf's console, and he said "Captain! We're being hailed. The source is the alien vessel."

"Put it on screen." Picard said. Riker asked "How much weirder can this get?"

The image of the ship's control chair filled the screen. There was no Barclay, just a being resembling one of the alien spacesuits they'd found while exploring the bridge.

"Mister Barclay, I demand that you stop this foolishness and return to the Enterprise immediately!"

Off audio, he turned to Worf and said "Target his engines." Worf nodded in silent agreement.

"Data, can you get a transporter lock on him?"

Data frowned and said "I cannot get a lock on Barclay. I believe that our sensors are being interfered with by the normal operation of the ship's power source."

Worf agreed and said "I cannot get a weapons lock either, Captain."

"Data, what about the tractor beam?"

"The same field the ship is using to lift up is interfering with the tractor beam. It will not lock either."

Picard tried another tack..."Mister Barclay, you've proven your point. Would you like to follow us back to Earth?"

"Captain, Elizabeth Shaw and the others came out here looking for answers. We didn't even know if they really existed, let alone if she found her answers. This vessel can take me to their homeworld in three weeks, and I can find OUR answers."

"Alright, Barclay. At least take Commander Data with you."

"No offense, Captain, but these people didn't treat the last android they met very well, and I like Data too much to place him in what would be certain danger."

Data liked what Barclay said. Picard looked at Riker, then looked at the screen, held up his hand in a Vulcan salute, and repeated the words Boothby had given him: "May your journey be free from incident, Mister Barclay."

"Thank you, Captain. The suit you see me in is almost like the neural interface the Cytherians had me construct. The vessel responds to my thoughts rather than my motions."

Then, he paused, and said "Captain, I would appreciate it if you could follow me and record my jump."

"Standing by, Mr. Barclay."

The alien vessel turned towards an unseen point in unexplored space, then accelerated through impulse speed with the Enterprise close behind. Worf commented that the ship didn't merely leave a trail of "bread crumbs", it left a trail of ionized "biscuits"! Geordi remarked that although it was advanced there was a lot of work to do to clean it up.

Barclay said "Here we go!" and the ship jumped into quantum slipstream drive, leaving the Enterprise behind.

And just like that, Lieutenant Reginald Barclay was gone.

A few hours later, the Enterprise was at Warp 9 and on her way back home to Earth. Picard sat in Ten Forward, looking absently at the stars as they rushed by and wondered if Barclay was alright. He should have had him confined to his quarters, Picard thought. Reg was brilliant, sometimes too smart for his own good. On the other hand, who was he to deny a crew member an opportunity to explore? There was no one to stop Elizabeth Shaw, he thought, and at least she did enough to stop these Engineers from returning to Earth to try to exterminate us.

"He'll be alright. He's a big boy." Guinan said.

Picard looked up at her, then looked back out at the stars and sighed "And I wish that I could have gone with him..."

Guinan put her hand on Picard's shoulder, smiled, and said "Part of you did go with him. He always thought of you as a father."

(end of chapter)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Remembrance

Several months had passed since the crew of the Enterprise returned from LV-223. Families of those lost aboard Prometheus had been notified and Star Fleet held a ceremony to commemorate their sacrifice and spirit of exploration. Boothby even put on a suit and tie for the occasion, something that wasn't lost on Picard. Boothby walked up to him, and smiled as he shook Picard's hand to thank him for bringing Ravel, his great-great-great-great uncle and a real-life hero after all, home.

But all good things must end, and Picard still felt a gnawing sense of emptiness this Christmas Eve. Barclay was gone, and there was nothing Picard could have done to stop him. He sighed as he turned towards the window of the Enterprise and gazed out into the starfield...most of the crew was with their families tonight, and Picard expected it to be a silent night.

He walked out onto the empty bridge, and for some reason the "incoming" lamp on Worf's console was illuminated. "Strange", he thought, "we're in Earth orbit, if Star Fleet wants to contact me why don't they just call me on my comm badge?"

Picard touched the control, and nearly fell over at the voice that came from the console's speaker.

"Barclay to Enterprise. Is anyone listening?"

"Picard to Barclay. It's good to hear from you. Where are you?"

"Hello, Captain. I'm just passing Mars Station. Several ships appear to be moving to intercept. Can you inform them that I am not hostile?"

"I hate to ask you this, Mister Barclay, but are you carrying anything dangerous?"

"If knowledge of another race is 'dangerous', then yes, I am. And Captain?"

"Yes, Mister Barclay?"

"I'm carrying the two survivors of the Prometheus."

"Barclay, that happened over 250 years ago! How can that be?"

"I'll explain the exact mechanism later if you'd like, but the short version is that time as we know it on Kepler 62f passes far more slowly than in most of the universe. Captain, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it, Reg?"

"What day and time is it?"

"It's Christmas Eve, 2330 hours UTC.

"Thank you, Captain. Miss Shaw can hear you and would like to speak with you."

"Certainly, Reg. Put her on."

"Captain Picard, this is Doctor Elizabeth Shaw."

Data had noticed the comm activity from his quarters and had joined Picard on the bridge. He suddenly had a lot of data to make sense of.

"Welcome home, Doctor Shaw. You certainly have gone where no one has gone before."

"Thank you, Captain. Reg tells me that over 250 years have passed since Prometheus?"

"Yes, it has. The world is quite different than the one you left. Star Fleet has your records on file, thanks to the logs you left behind from Prometheus. Would you like them to contact your descendants or would you rather do it yourself?"

"Thank you, Captain. I would like to do that myself. I think that it would make a nice Christmas gift for a lot of people."

"Would you like to visit Enterprise first?"

"Yes, that would be very nice, thank you."

The ship was within viewscreen range now, accompanied by several Federation vessels. Barclay slowed the ship, then put it into orbit alongside Enterprise. Just before he deactivated the control suit, he said "It's been fun being captain of my own ship for a change. By the way, Captain, I named my ship Prometheus II, in honor of those whose legacies we brought into the light."

That's very thoughtful, Reg. Mister Data has entered it into Star Fleet's database. Your designation is RBX-1, short for Reg Barclay Experimental-1."

"Oh, Data! I'm glad that you're here. Meet David 8."

"Hello, David. I have read a lot about you."

"Hello, Data. Reg has told me that you and he are like 'brothers' ".

Data smiled and said "Yes, we are. Brothers watch out for one another."

"Reg, standard procedure is to beam directly to Sick Bay. We'll meet you there."

"Thank you, Captain. Barclay to transporter room, three to beam over."

(end of chapter)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Messages from the Malakak People.

Thanks to Barclay's dedication and hard work, he had not only made contact with another spacefaring race but had returned with knowledge and survivors from the Prometheus disaster. Doctor Crusher pronounced them fit and safe, and not carrying any contaminants. Picard had asked his officers if they wanted to return to the ship to greet Barclay and his passengers, and everyone did. They all went to Ten Forward for dinner and drinks. Guinan was enjoying the happiness around her. Picard was telling Reg that he had now qualified for a second Successful First Contact award and that this would place him in some quite elite company. Beverly was talking with David, and Data was explaining how the replicator worked to Dr. Shaw. Riker was talking with Deanna. Suddenly, a Christmas tree appeared near the replicator. "Data, help me move this, please?" Elizabeth asked. Together, they placed the tree in front of the viewscreen, and she touched a small music player and Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "A Star To Follow" began playing. Worf got excited because the beginning sounded like Klingon opera! Everyone stood together before the tree. "Janek set up a tree when we landed on LV-223", she explained, "but he never got to open his presents. They all died..."

She was weeping as Reg held her close. He was her protector now, now that they were all back home. Picard looked around the room, lifted his glass, and said "A toast, a toast to Captain Janek and the crew of the good ship Prometheus. They were Star Fleet 70 years before there WAS a Star Fleet!"

"Godspeed, Prometheus!"

"Here, here!" was the unanimous reply.

Elizabeth composed herself, and thanked Picard for his kind thoughts and for allowing Reg to come for her. Reg winked at Picard and he went along with the running gag that Reg had sprung on him. Then, she had a serious look on her face, as she said "Captain, the Malakak gave me a message."

"What is it?"

"First, they will 'sterilize' both moons, LV-223 and LV-426 so that they will not endanger anyone who will come exploring."

"That's fine..."

"Second...they wish no contact with the Federation at this time."

Picard looked stunned, but she continued...

"They need time to determine what to do next. My arrival there created quite an upset to their society, and when Reg arrived they realized that the 'genie' they created could not be put back in the bottle. The one thing I can tell you for certain is that they will not attack us. They know that your intentions are peaceful and appreciated the effort you gave to find us."

Picard looked around the room and said "There is a statue at Star Fleet Headquarters. Do you remember American astronaut Christa McAuliffe?"

"The schoolteacher who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger? Oh my yes, I remember her from history class!"

"There is a statue of her in a pose that closely resembles the ones you and Dr. Holloway found in caves around the world. On its base is a quote, whether it's hers or not is unimportant. It states:

' With my footsteps I shall lead, in my footsteps you shall follow.'

"All we did was to follow in her footsteps...and yours."

(end of chapter)


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Epilogue.

It was springtime in San Francisco. Star Fleet was holding a dedication ceremony, one that was long overdue for the families and the two survivors of the Prometheus Expedition, as it was now called. Emissaries from over a hundred worlds sat in the audience, and family members of those lost took their places on the stage. Elizabeth Shaw and Reg Barclay walked hand-in-hand on the lawn, and for a moment they paid their respects to Christa McAuliffe, reading aloud the words on the base of the statue that had her pointing towards the heavens. Captain Picard presented Reg with two Successful First Contact Awards, and two Exceptional Engineering Achievement awards. He presented David 8 and Elizabeth with their own Successful First Contact Awards as well. After all, he thought, they were able to convince the Malakak that humanity was worth saving at a time when humanity would have been defenseless.

When David and Elizabeth took the podium, they received a standing ovation. She had prepared a speech, but decided to improvise...

"Thank you, all of you who are assembled here today. We are indeed honored to be here today along with the descendants and relatives of my crewmates. I believe that if they were here today, they might be a bit embarrassed about all of the pomp and circumstance."

"You see, when we left orbit the world, indeed the galaxy itself, was a much larger place. We didn't go out like Captain Cook and Endeavour, in the name of science, our mission was to find a way to extend the life of the man whose money financed the mission. That is something our Ferengi colleagues can appreciate."

Several Ferengi in the audience noded in approval. Most others laughed at the situational humor.

"But like so many other explorers throughout human history, we encountered something that we never expected and it cost the life of everyone save my own. Everyone I knew, everyone I loved, all gone. Was it worth the cost? Think about it for a second. The pioneers of Earth's space programs often made the ultimate sacrifice, not for God and country but for the sake of science. Science. If you ask me, then yes, it was worth the cost."

She was interrupted by another standing ovation. Clearly these Federation members believed in the cause of peace and advancing the cause of science as well.

"When David was created, his station in life was that of an appliance. Today, he is a man, as much of a man as any of you. Society has indeed made great strides, not only in mere technology, but in how we view and relate to each other. I am impressed."

More applause...

"I would talk more, but Mister Barclay and I have a date to keep. Thank you for coming today."

And with another standing ovation, the affair was over.

Dr. Elizabeth Shaw is a member of Star Fleet's Astro-Archeology group. She also assists with late 21st Century historical studies as well as space mythology. David, after conversing at length with Data, has decided to pursue a career in Star Fleet and has entered officer training. Reg Barclay has rejoined the crew of the Enterprise. Star Fleet Engineering has dismantled the Prometheus II to reverse-engineer it, after which it will go on permanent display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Udvar-Hazy. Some of its technology, particularly the shipwide holo-emitters, have been incorporated into Star Fleet's Prometheus-class starships.

And the voyage continues...to boldly go where no one has gone before.

(end of story)


End file.
